REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 78

Dario stopped sipping his coffee and looked down at the screen. My dad leaned over, his eyes scanning the text, and let out a dry, humorless sound. Uncle Pascal just shook his head, a small, knowing smirk hitting his face.

"She's up to something," Dario said, stating the obvious. "Nobody texts out of nowhere trying to play sweet unless they're sweating."

"Obviously," I muttered, grabbing a napkin. "She's probably panicking because of the anonymous text from yesterday, or she thinks she can fix whatever mess she's in by twisting my arm."

"You aren't going alone," my dad said, his tone leaving zero room for argument.

"I wasn't planning on it," I told him, rolling my eyes a little bit. "I'll take security. Plus, you guys are probably going to follow us anyway."

Uncle Pascal laughed out loud, leaning back in his chair. "We wouldn't miss it, princess." he said.

By nine, I was out the door but not before being lectured by the entire Vlateri clam about being careful. My dad came with two of his guys, and Dario came with a couple of his own to the mix, so I basically walked up to the coffee shop looking like a VIP detail.

The cafe was a high-end spot downtown, usually packed with people trying to look important, but today it was weirdly dead. Not a single soul inside except for the person behind the counter.

That was the first sign. A total dead giveaway. Nysa must have rented the place out or scared everyone off so she could have a private audience. But what she didn't know, what she couldn't possibly know was that my dad, Dario, and Uncle Pascal had already slipped in through a back entrance a few minutes before me and were hidden away where she couldn't see them.

I pushed the glass door open, the little bell chiming above my head, and spotted Nysa sitting at a corner table near the back. She looked like she was trying to play it cool, but her shoulders were way too tight.

I walked over, pulling out a chair opposite her, and sat down without saying a word. I just stared at her, letting her stew for a second. A server walked over a minute later, holding a small notepad. She looked nervous, her eyes darting toward the door before she focused on us. "What can I get you two?" she asked.

"Just a black coffee," I said, keeping my gaze locked on Nysa.

Nysa cleared her throat, forcing a tight little smile. "I'll have a caramel latte, please. And make sure it's fresh."

The server nodded quickly and hurried off toward the back counter. But I didn't miss the weird, sideways look that passed between her and Nysa right before she turned around. It was tiny, but it was there. They were working together. Nysa had set something up. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest, and just stared right at her. "Why did you call me here?" I asked.

Nysa took a slow breath, trying to look all innocent and big-sisterly, which was hilarious considering how much she hated my guts. "Oh, I just wanted to talk to my sister without everyone around," she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. " I thought we could clear the air." she said.

I didn't answer right away. I just kept my eyes locked on hers, letting the silence get awkward and heavy. Just then, my phone vibrated softly against the table. I glanced down. A text from Dario.

: She tried to drug you, she got it instead.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. I tapped out a quick reply under the table.

: Good.

Right as I locked my phone screen, the server came back out from the back area carrying a small tray with two cups. Her hands were visibly trembling, the cups were rattling against the cheap plastic tray. She set my coffee in front of me and Nysa's latte right in front of her, then scrambled away so fast she almost tripped over her own shoes.

I looked down at the steaming cup, then back up at Nysa. I didn't touch it. I just leaned my elbows on the table, tilted my head, and gave her a slow, knowing smile.

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